Silent Signals
by Ghostwriter
Summary: AU. Scott's keeping a dark secret from his family.
1. Picture Perfect

SILENT SIGNALS

DISCLAIMER

All Higher Ground characters belong to Fox Family. This is AU in that there is no Horizon, and all of the kids go to a regular school. I gave the background for everybody in the last chapter of "Standing Tall". Please remember that in **this** story, Elaine is **not** Scott's abuser. Oh, and thanks to Melsm213, Bubbly, Jean, and others who constantly reviewed "Standing Tall.".

CHAPTER ONE: PICTURE PERFECT

A white car with two blue stripes going down the middle of the vehicle pulled up in front of the two-story house. Sixteen-year old Scott Barringer opened up the passenger seat and walked out.

"Catch ya later, man," Scott said to the driver.

"See ya, Scott," was the response. The car drove off as Scott entered the abode.

"Scott? Is that you?" a man asked.

"No, Dad. It's Bon Jovie," was the teen's reply. A laugh met his ears as his stepmother, sixteen-year old Elaine came into view.

"Scott," she scolded.

"What?" he asked with a shrug.

"You're crazy," she teased.

"Hey, Champ. Ready for dinner?" Martin Barringer queried, poking his head out from the kitchen.

"You bet," Scott responded. With that, he and Elaine went into the kitchen, sat down, and began to eat.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

There isn't going to be any drug abuse in this story. Scott's going to be acting a little different than in "Higher Ground".


	2. Football

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground characters belong to Fox Family. Anything or anyone you don't recognize, belongs to me.

Two days later, Scott was out on the football field, facing the team from Lancaster High.

"Man, these wimps are goin' down," Scott's best friend Jeremy Lyons sneered. Scott shook his head.

"It's just a game, man. Don't go postal on the poor guys," he responded.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Jeremy questioned.

"Ours, of course. But we just want to kick their butts over the field, not kill them," Scott answered. The referee blew his whistle, indicating the start of the game. Everyone went into action. Scott was unstoppable. Once he had the ball, no one could touch him. The crowd reacted wildly. Barringer was awesome.

"Come on, Scott! Go, go, go, go, go, go!" Elaine shrieked. She had never been much for football, but when it was her stepson playing, it was completely different. And he had been incredibly patient with her, explaining the rules and how scoring worked. Two hours later, the final call was heard.

"Touchdown, Scott Barringer!" someone over the P.A. system announced. Everyone cheered. Scott's teammates jumped on his back, slapped him on the arm, and basically went berserk. Scott laughed and looked out to the crowd to see his father and stepmother coming his way.

"Guys! Over here!" he called. He moved through the other players and walked up to them.

"Great game, Scott," Martin stated, hugging him fiercely.

"Thanks, Dad," Scott acknowledged. He grunted as the hug grew tighter. "Uh…Dad?" he croaked.

"Martin, I think Scott would like to breathe," Elaine said.

"Oh, sorry," Martin apologized, releasing his hold.

"Congratulations," Elaine said with a smile. "Come on, let's go get some ice cream. My treat," she continued.

"Great," Scott agreed. With that, they all walked to the car.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

As far as I know, I made up Lancaster High. If that's your school, tell me and I'll change it.


	3. Changes

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground is not mine, but Fox Family's. When I own something, I'll tell you.

At the ice cream parlor, Scott stared at the menu. He wasn't sure what flavor he wanted. He blew out a breath and messed up the back of his hair.

"Well?" Elaine queried.

"I don't know. It all looks good," Scott responded.

"I know. Don't you hate it when that happens?" Elaine asked with a sympathetic laugh. "I thought I'd get Mint Chocolate Chip," she continued.

"I'm gonna go for Rocky Road," Martin stated. Scott continued to stare.

"Oh, I think I'll take Chocolate," he finally decided. The teen behind the counter began scooping out the ice creams.

"Cones or cups?" came the question.

"Cups," Martin answered for them all. As soon as they had their ice cream, they went to a table. For a minute, they were all silent as they ate. Finally, Martin put his ice cream down.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Scott asked.

"Scott, I've got something to tell you," Martin began.

"Is it Mom? Is she okay?" Scott asked, sitting up straight.

"Your mother's fine," Martin hastened to assure his son. Scott let out a sigh of relief.

"However, there **are** going to be some changes," Elaine added.

"What?" Scott asked.

"Scott, you're going to be switching schools," Martin told him.

"What? But all my friends are at school!" Scott protested.

"West Moore High has a better football scholarship," Martin continued.

"But, Dad!" Scot objected.

"Martin, I told you we should've talked to Scott about this first," Elaine chided.

"What's done is done," Martin declared. Scott grumbled something unintelligible. He knew that was his father's way of ending the discussion.

"Is there anything else?" Scott asked.

"Yes. Elaine and I have invited Cecilia to stay with us for a while," Martin replied.

"NO!" Scott shouted, jumping up. The action caused his bowl of ice cream to spill onto the table.

"Scott," Martin said in surprise.

"No! She **can**'**t** stay with us! She just can't!" Scott exclaimed.

"Scott, what's the matter?" Elaine asked in concern.

"She can**not** come to our house! You can't do this to me!" Scott screamed.

"Scott, what's wrong?" Elaine questioned, standing up and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me! Just leave me alone!" Scott shouted, jerking away. Then, he stomped outside.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

As far as I know I made up West Moore High. If it's the name of an actual school, tell me and I'll change it. I got the name Cecilia from "7th Heaven" after a character on the show that I didn't really like. This is not meant to offend anybody actually named Cecilia.


	4. A New School

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Bubbly: Glad you like it so far.

JadeAlmasy: Glad you're enjoying the story. Hope this is soon enough.

Keke1: Hey! **Always** awesome to hear from ya. Update "Falling Away" would ya? And you're right on the money.

OthfanAnna: I think you're a new reviewer. Glad to see you. Here's more.

Melms213: Glad you like it so far. I'm with you.

DISCLAIMER

First off, in chapter one, when giving out Elaine's age, I said she was sixteen, which is **obviously** wrong. She's twenty-six. Sorry about that. Higher Ground characters don't belong to me. They belong to Fox Family. I only own Cecilia, who'll be showing up in the next chapter. I know it's probably not necessary to add all of their ages, but I'm going to anyways.

The next Monday, Scott entered the hallways of West Moore High.

"Hey, who's that?" sixteen-year old Shelby Merrick asked in interest.

"I don't know. He's kinda cute though," sixteen-year old Juliette "Jules" Waybourne responded.

"Hey!" her boyfriend, sixteen-year Augusto "Auggie" Ciceros protested.

"But not as cute as you," Juliette was quick to assure. Shelby laughed. Just then, the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy walked up to them.

"Hi, I'm Scott Barringer," he introduced himself.

"I'm Juliette Waybourne, this is my boyfriend Auggie Ciceros," Juliette introduced the two.

"Hola," Auggie greeted. He and Scott shook hands.

"I'm Ezra Friedkin and this is my girlfriend Daisy Lipenowski," sixteen-year old Ezra Friedkin continued.

"Hey," sixteen-year old Daisy Lipenowski said.

"And I'm David Ruxton," sixteen-year old David Ruxton finished.

"Nice to meet you all," Scott said.

"Where did you transfer from?" asked Ezra.

"Havert High," Scott answered.

"Why'd you transfer?" Juliette wondered.

"Dad says this place has a better football scholarship," Scott replied.

"Oh, great. That's **just** what we need. Another jocko," Daisy said sarcastically.

"Hey! I'm not another dumb jock!" Scott protested indignantly.

"All right, all right. Let's not get into it," Juliette said hurriedly. Then, "Do you have your schedule?"

"Actually, I need to head on over to the principal's office to get it," Scott responded.

"I'll take you," Shelby offered eagerly. Her friends stifled a laugh. She glared at them, and then led the way to the principal's office.

"Hey, Mr. Markasian," Shelby greeted.

"Hello, Shelby," the principal, Frank Markasian acknowledged. "Who's this?" he queried.

"Scott Barringer. New boy," was her answer.

"My dad called you. I think he got all the classes figured out," the boy added.

"Barringer, Barringer…" the man muttered, looking through his papers. Then, "Ah, yes. Here we are." Scott took the paper and he and Shelby looked over it.

"English? I got the same class. Come on," she stated. With that, they headed for the door.

"Thanks, Mr. Markasian," Scott said before the door shut.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

As far as I know, I made up Havert High. If it's an actual school and you don't want me to use it, tell me and I'll change it. And there'll be more school scenes later in the story, I just thought this would be a good way to end the chapter.


	5. The Secret

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground characters belong to Fox Family. Cecilia belongs to me.

Later that day, Scott walked into the kitchen, his mind reeling from the day he had had. He had been pleasantly surprised that he had various classes with the group of kids he had met, although he wasn't too sure of what he thought about Daisy and David. Daisy was kind of morbid and David just grated on his nerves. He looked at his watch. Three-fifteen. Dad and Elaine were still at work. They wouldn't be home for a couple of hours.

"Scotty?" a female voice asked. "Scotty, are you home?" it continued. Scott's stomach knotted. However, he ignored it and opened the refrigerator door. The boy looked inside the appliance in search of a snack. Presently, he became aware of footsteps.

"No," he whispered with a shake of his head.

"Scotty?" a woman asked. "Scotty," she called seductively. Scott clinched a fist. The footsteps came into the kitchen.

"There you are, Scotty," the voice said. With a defeated sigh, the boy turned around.

"What do you want Cecilia?" he questioned.

"You didn't answer me when I called you," twenty-six Cecilia Robbins answered.

"Maybe I didn't want to have to deal with you," Scott snapped. He started to pass her, but she grabbed his arm.

"Scotty, I've been so lonely," the woman whined.

"So get a date," he snapped again. He once again tried to pass her, but she yanked him back.

"**Don**'**t** talk to me that way," she scolded. "Now, let's go up to my room," she added seductively.

"No," Scott said in dread. "Pl---please. Not again," he begged. Her only answer was to pull him upstairs. _No! No! I don't want to do this!_ Scott's mind screamed. But he couldn't tell anyone. She was Elaine's best friend. They would believe **her**. Once they were inside the room she was using, Cecilia pushed the boy onto her bed.

"Cecilia, p-please," Scott begged again.

"Ssssssshhhhhh," Cecilia said, a finger to her lips. She climbed on top him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Scotty," Cecilia whispered. "Make love to me, Scotty," she urged breathlessly. Scott's Adam's Apple wobbled, but he loped his arms around her neck.

"Oh, Scotty, I knew you wanted me," Cecilia sighed, kissing him on the neck.

"Please. Please don't do this," Scott pleaded, as tears began to fall. He hated when this happened. It made him feel so dirty. He moaned and began to sob as she continued to wreak havoc on his body.


	6. Hiding The Truth

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Nicole Lo: Hey, a new reviewer. Welcome. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Hope this is soon enough.

Keke1: I guess I'll have to take that. I thought I had explained it in the previous chapter, but hopefully this will be clearer.

JadeAlmasy: Hope this is soon enough.

OthfanAnna: Here's more. Glad you're enjoying the story.

Melms213: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I hope this is soon enough.

DnAJunkie: I see I have another new reviewer. Welcome. I hope you like this chapter as well.

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground characters don't belong to me, but Fox Family. I only own Cecilia.

An hour later, Scott was sitting in his own room, leaning against the bed, trying to will away what had happened in the previous hour. Once again, Cecilia had gotten what she wanted. So many times before, Scott was afraid that they would get caught, but the woman had always planned everything just right: finish her torture at least an hour before his parents came home. Scott buried his face in his lap and cried again. Suddenly, he heard the front door opening and looked up. Someone was home early. Wiping away his tears, he hurried down the stairs just in time to see his stepmother walk through the door.

"Hi, Elaine," Scott greeted.

"Hello, Scott," Elaine acknowledged. In her hands were two brown grocery bags.

"Here, let me help," Scott offered, taking one.

"Thank you," was her response. They placed the two bags on the counter, and then proceeded to bring in the rest of the groceries.

"So, how come you're home early?" Scott wondered.

"Oh, it was a slow day, so they let me take off," Elaine replied. The woman worked as a salesgirl at a card store.

"You're telling me that there wasn't even a guy who needed to buy a card to apologize to his girlfriend?" Scott joked. The woman laughed. Just then, Cecilia came out. Immediately, Scott tensed. Elaine noted the sudden rigidity of her stepson and frowned.

"Hey, you two. Need some help?" Cecilia queried.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Scott here's been doing all the heavy lifting and I bet he could use a break," Elaine answered. With that, the two friends walked out to the car on the driveway, leaving the door open, leaving Scott within hearing distance.

"You know, Lanie, I really want to thank you for letting me stay with you guys while my apartment's being renovated," Cecilia stated.

"Cecilia, what are best friends for?" Elaine laughed. Scott panted. **This** was why he had to act normal. Because of the friendship between Cecilia and his stepmother. No matter what happened, he couldn't hurt Elaine. He just couldn't. Scott ducked into a hallway as the two came back in carrying bags and laughing and talking. He pressed his back against a wall and panted shakily. The boy closed his eyes and wished he could just disappear.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know Elaine didn't look like someone who would work at **anything**, but remember, this AU. And I'll try to get as many chapters out as I can before I leave on vacation Friday. After that, you won't get any chapters for about a week. Sorry. Hope you enjoy what I **can** get up.


	7. Second Day At West Moore High

SHOUT OUTS AND ANSWERS

Bubbly: Here's more.

Keke1: I'm glad that I could clear things up. Glad you're enjoying it.

Melms213: I'm glad you approve. I wasn't quite sure how people would take an ElaineScott friendship.

OthfanAnna: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'm a fan of Scott angst myself. I wasn't planning on having Scott delve into any type of self-destructive behavior. He was just going to withdraw from people.

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground characters are property of Fox Family. I only own Cecilia. I don't remember if they ever said what Jeff's last name was on the show, so I'm just going to make one up.

The following morning, Scott awoke with a groan. He hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night thanks to Cecilia. The boy got out of bed and quickly got dressed. Then, he gathered up his belongings which he stuffed into a backpack and went downstairs. Martin had already left, but Elaine was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"You want some help?" the boy offered, putting his things down.

"Well, I've got the food part handled, how 'bout you set the table?" Elaine suggested.

"Sure," Scott agreed. "So, Dad already left, huh?" he continued, as he brought down the plates.

"Yeah, he had some catching up to do at the office," Elaine answered.

"He works **way** too hard," Scott stated.

"Ain't that the truth," Elaine agreed.

"Good morning!" a voice chirped. Scott blew out a tense breath.

"Good morning, Cecilia," Elaine greeted.

"Good morning, Lanie," Cecilia acknowledged. "Good morning, Scotty," she smiled.

"Mornin'," Scott muttered.

"Scotty, is that **any** way to greet me?" Cecilia queried. Though her voice was sweet, her eyes shot daggers.

"Good morning, Cecilia," Scott quickly amended. Then, "Uh…Elaine, is it okay if I skip breakfast? I'm suddenly not very hungry."

"Are you sure?" Elaine asked.

"Yeah. It must be nerves," Scott lied.

"Okay. Sure, that's fine," Elaine accepted. Scott picked up his backpack, placed it on his shoulders, and went outside. The boy got into his car and drove off. Scott ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. He didn't know what to do. All too soon, he was at school. _I wonder if I'll see that girl Shelby again_, he thought to himself. Shelby. She was cute. **Real** cute. Meanwhile, Shelby, Juliette, Auggie, Daisy, Ezra, and David were at their lockers, chattering.

"So, what do you guys think of the new boy, Scott?" Shelby wondered.

"He's okay. I mean, if I wasn't with Auggie, I might be tempted to pursue him," Juliette stated.

"Oye," Auggie protested, sounding insulted.

"Oh, I don't think he's so special. He's just another jock," David dismissed.

"Hey, there he is," Daisy noted.

"Is…it me, or does he seem upset?" Juliette questioned.

"You know, you're right," Ezra commented. Scott maneuvered his way through the group and went to his assigned locker, which was between Juliette and Auggie.

"Something tells me there's a reason for this," Scott deadpanned.

"Okay, so Vice Principal Scarbrow thought maybe Auggie and I were getting a **little** too physical," Juliette sheepishly admitted.

"'A little'?" Daisy echoed. "You two were together so much, I was starting to think you were Siamese twins," she told her friend. Everybody laughed. Then, the bell rang and everybody went their separate ways. In first period English, Scott took a seat next to Shelby.

"So, what do you think of West Moore High so far?" Shelby queried.

"Well, it's only my second day, but so far, it seems pretty nice," Scott commented.

"Cool," Shelby said. Just then, their English teacher, Jeff Hunter, came in.

"Okay, settle down," he declared. "As you remember, we're studying William Shakespeare," he continued.

"Good old Shakespeare," Scott murmured to Shelby.

"He rocks, " Shelby agreed.

"Glad you think so, Ms. Merrick. But please, try to pay attention," Jeff requested.

"Sorry, Mr. Hunter," Shelby apologized with a sheepish grin. The man let it go and continued on with the lesson. As the day wore on, Scott continued to mingle with the group he had met the previous day. Finally, it was lunchtime. Scott was in line when he saw it: a beautiful seventeen-year old black girl being harassed by some guy with spiky hair.

"Will you move on?" she asked.

"You gonna make me?" the guy sneered.

"No, but **I** will," Scott answered, stepping in front of the girl. Spiky hair spent a few minutes staring at the newcomer, then took off.

"Thanks," the girl said gratefully.

"No problem," Scott responded.

"I'm Kat," seventeen-year old Katherine "Kat" Cabot introduced herself.

"Scott Barringer," Scott said. They shook hands.

"Oh, you're the new boy," Katherine realized.

"So you've heard," Scott stated.

"Everybody has," Katherine confirmed as they went through the line. "Word around school is that you're going to be our new football star," she continued.

"I think I need to try out for the team first," Scott corrected as they finished the line and headed for a table.

"What are you talking about?" Juliette wondered as they sat down.

"Football," Katherine responded.

"Oye, that's right. You were the quarterback over at Havert," Auggie recalled. "You gonna save our team?" he queried.

"Like I told Kat, I think I need to try out for the team first," Scott replied.

"Mere formalities. If you're as good as I've heard, you're a shoo-in," Juliette dismissed.

"Hey, uh, where's Hank?" Ezra asked Katherine.

"In talking to Mr. Markasian," Katherine responded. "Something about a work schedule conflicting with a class," she continued.

"What does he do?" Scott wondered.

"He's a junior police officer," Katherine answered. Scott fell silent. Then, Juliette brought up the subject of a new dress design and all the boys groaned.

"Please, Queenie. Spare us," Shelby added. Juliette's only answer was to stick her tongue out at her friend and continue with the conversation.

"I think this is our cue to go," David declared.

"For once, I'm with **him**," Ezra agreed. With that, all of the boys stood up, carried their trays to a table, then left the cafeteria.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know it's odd to have Kat friends with the others since she's a grade ahead of them, but I always liked their friendship in the series, so…it's here in this book.


	8. Tryouts And Nightmares

SHOUTOUTS AND ANSWERS

ShalBrenfan: I'm glad you like it.

Queen Of Shadows: Yeah, I know what you mean. I never liked Elaine myself, though I am a fan of Emmanuel Vagier.

Linkie: I'm glad you like the twist I've decided to go with. Sorry this isn't up as soon as you had hoped.

DnAJunkie: Glad you like it. I'm interested in where I'm taking it myself.

PonygurlCurtis: Glad you like it.

Sam1 (Ch 1): I think you're a new reviewer. Welcome.

JadeAlmasy: Glad you like it.

Melms213: I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Keke1: As usual, great to hear from ya. Glad to hear that you're enjoying the story. Right now, I'm a little lost as to where I want to take the story after this chapter.

OthfanAnna: I like Scott drama too.

AUTHOR'S NOTEDISCLAIMERS

Hey, everyone! I'm back from vacation. Sorry it's taken me so long to get this submitted, but my Net was down for the longest time. As usual, Higher Ground characters belong to Fox Family and I own anything you don't recognize. And I put in Rusty's because I liked it.

Later that day, Scott made his way to the football field. He had heard from one of the guys in his class that the school was holding tryouts to replace a wide-receiver that had suddenly moved away. This would be great! This was what he lived for! Football was the only thing that could make him forget. That was why he always seemed to have tunnel vision out on the field; it was his way of blocking out what was happening to him. The boy took his place beside a guy who was about six-two. _Oh, great. This is just perfect_, he thought sarcastically as he took note of the various tryouts. Meanwhile, he was unaware of the audience he had.

"Wow. Look at all these tryouts," breathed Juliette. "You think he has a chance?" she queried, turning to her friends.

"There's **always** a chance," Daisy responded. They watched as the coach began the scrimmage.

"Come on, Scott! Go!" Shelby shrieked. They watched as Scott doubled his efforts. The girls followed his movements and even Daisy had to admit she was impressed. Barringer had skills. He was certainly running faster than any of the other jocks. Despite herself, Daisy became interested in what was going on.

"Come on, Jocko. Come on," she murmured when he had caught the ball. Almost as if he had heard her, Scott put on an extra burst of speed. The ball moved through the air and Scott quickly caught it, moving towards the end zone. When he made it past the goal line without being touched, Shelby, Juliette, and the others screamed excitedly. However, the tryouts weren't over. They lasted for another couple of hours, with different boys playing the part of wide receiver. When the boys were finally finished, Scott jogged over to his new friends.

"You were great. I can't wait to see if you made it," Juliette squealed, throwing her arms around him. Scott chuckled nervously, and managed to disentangle himself without seeming rude.

"I don't know about anybody else, but I'm hungry," Katherine stated.

"I could eat," confirmed Shelby. "How 'bout you guys?" she queried, turning to her friends.

"Yeah, sure," they all agreed. With that, they all made plans to meet at _Rusty O'Brien's_, a popular teen hangout, with Scott getting directions from Auggie. As he walked to the car, Scott pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Yes?" he heard his stepmother ask.

"Elaine, I'm going out to eat with some friends. And no, you haven't met them. But that's only because I haven't had a chance to invite them over yet," Scott said.

"Okay," Elaine accepted. They hung up and Scott got into his car, started the engine, and drove off. Once there, the teens quickly got a table.

"You're gonna love this place. It's awesome," Shelby told Scott.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," she confirmed. A few minutes later, the head waitress and owner of the diner, Annie, came out.

"What can I get you queried?" she queried.

"Usual," almost everyone replied.

"New boy, how 'bout you?" Annie asked.

"Cheeseburger-cheeseburger, chocolate-cherry shake," Scott responded.

"Coming right up," Annie promised, as she finished writing up the order. Then, she left. For a while, they talked. All conversation stopped however when their food arrived. After they ate, they each went their separate ways. Once home, Scott changed clothes and tumbled into bed. A few minutes later, he heard the knob of his door turning.

"No," he moaned. Cecilia walked up to the bed and Scott resigned himself to what he knew was coming.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Sorry I skipped over the diner scene. I was just anxious to get this up. Due to the fact that my Net conked out on me, I lost most of my favorite stuff, which included a Dreaming of Hayden website and a Higher Ground site that had a photo gallery of each of the characters. If someone knows if either one of these one of these sites are still current and could tell me, it would be appreciated.


	9. The Project

SHOUT OUTS AND ANSWERS

JadeAlmasy: Glad you liked it.

Keke1: Glad you liked it. Found both sites. Thanks anyway.

Melms213: Glad you're enjoying it.

Queen of Shadows: Don't you hate that? Found the dreaming of Hayden site and HG site. Thanks for the help. Hope this is another good chap.

Luthien telemnar (Our Common Bond): I don't think I've seen your name before. If you're reading this story, welcome.

2008ccampbell: You're another new reviewer. Welcome to the fandom. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

ShalBrenfan: Glad you're enjoying the story. I found the sites. You and everyone else have helped quite a bit. Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Nothing familiar belongs to me. I only own Cecilia.

The next morning, Scott awoke to his radio with a groan. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to handle Cecilia. She haunted him in his sleep. For a moment, he let the hard rock play for a few minutes, then shut off the alarm. The boy forced himself to get up and dressed. When he went downstairs, he found himself alone. _Huh. That's weird_, he thought to himself. He wasn't usually up before anybody else. With a shrug, he went about making breakfast. Soon, the smell of eggs and bacon sifted through the house. Presently, the boy heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. Almost immediately, an arm went around his shoulders and he stiffened.

"Good morning, Scotty," Cecilia whispered. "I had fun last night. Didn't you?" she queried, running a finger down the side of his neck.

"Get off me, Skank," Scott growled, jerking away.

"Ssssshhhhh! Scotty, be quiet. You remember our rules, don't you?" Cecilia scolded, grabbing his jaw and tightening her fingers around it. Almost instantly, it turned into a stroke. Just then, the pair heard another set of footsteps. Scott's stomach knotted. They'd be caught! Cecilia instantly vaulted away from Scott and to the cupboards where they kept the plates.

"Mmm. Good morning," Scott's father mumbled.

"Morning, Marty," Cecilia chirped. Scott just stood frozen. He didn't know what to do or think. Had his father seen anything? And if so, how was he going to explain?

"Good morning, Scott," Martin greeted.

"Mornin', Dad," Scott responded. He sat at the table just as Elaine came out. After breakfast, the boy gathered up his things.

"Scott, are you okay?" Elaine questioned, noticing the boy's tenseness.

"Yeah. I just don't want to be late for school," Scott lied. With that, he walked out the door, and the adults heard him start a car and drive off. As he drove to school, visions of the previous of night danced around in his head.

"_Scotty," Cecilia whispered. She ran a finger down his neck. He let out a ragged breath. As she stroked his neck, she sank down closer and closer to him until finally, their bodies were touching. Then_---the sound of a horn brought the boy out of his nightmare. With a gasp, Scott looked around wildly.

"Hey, watch what you're doing, punk!" a man shouted.

"Sorry," Scott apologized. He cautiously continued on. When he got to his locker, he saw that the others were already there.

"Hey," he acknowledged, trying to appear normal. Okay, he so he was losing it. It didn't have to be known by people he had just met.

"Hey," Juliette said in a hard voice. She yanked her locker open, grabbed her books, than banged the door shut.

"What's with you?" Scott wondered.

"Problems with Mommy -Dearest again?" Daisy queried in her dry way.

"OH! She drives me insane!" Juliette seethed. "'Juliette, watch your weight. You need to keep a figure. Find a new boyfriend.'. UGH! I can't stand it!" she complained.

"I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent'," Daisy quoted.

"Huh?" Ezra asked.

"Just ignore her. If you don't listen, she has no control," Daisy said. Before the girl could respond, the bell rang. As they walked into class, Auggie gave Juliette a reassuring squeeze. As Mr. Hunter droned on, Scott had to force himself to pay attention. It wasn't easy with memories of the previous night vying for his attention.

_She pressed her body against his. "Oh, you feel so nice. So very nice," she whispered._

"_Please, don't," Scott said._

"_Scotty. Scotty, say you love me," Cecilia breathlessly urged._

"_No," Scott whispered._ Scott's eyes became pained and he dug his nails into his hand.

"_Scotty," Cecilia whined._

"_No more please," Scott implored. "No---"_

"Mr. Barringer." Scott jumped in surprise.

"I---I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asked.

"Well, apparently Shakespeare doesn't hold enough interest for you," Mr. Hunter stated.

"I'm sorry, Mr. I had trouble sleeping last night," Scott stated. The man took the apology and continued with his lecture. Auggie elbowed Scott.

"Oye, you okay, Meat? You were out for like, two minutes," he whispered.

"I'm fine," Scott answered tightly. He turned his attention to the teacher. At five minutes before the end of the class, he stopped his lecture.

"Okay, project time," the man announced. Everybody groaned. "You'll be working in twos, and you can choose your own partners. What I want you to do is pick out a Shakespeare play and do a report on the main characters," he continued.

"Hey, Barringer. Wanna partner up?" Shelby asked quickly.

"Sure," Scott replied.

"Great," grinned Shelby. The bell singling the end of the class rang and everybody walked out.


	10. Football And Shakespeare

SHOUT OUTS AND ANSWERS

Tribaltaisan: Hey, I was wondering where you were. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Linkie: Yes she is. I'm glad my method was effective and I'm glad you like the story so far.

Keke1: Thanks. Me neither. I will.

JadeAlmasy: Thanks. I hope this is soon enough.

Queen of Shadows: Thanks. I'm glad you liked my method.

20008ccampbell: Thanks. Glad you like it.

OthfanAnna: Don't worry. You'll never be left hanging for long. This chapter may not have Scott drama but it **does** have some S\S friendship.

DISCLAIMER

I only own Cecilia. Everything else belongs to Fox Family. I think I forgot to put the disclaimer in the last chapter, so this goes for that one as well. I also realized a mistake I made. When I first started out, I had Scott as a quarterback, but when I did the tryouts, I made him a wide-receiver. Sorry. For this story, he is a quarterback.

At the end of the day, Scott grabbed his belongings out of his locker and began to head for the parking lot.

"Hey, Barringer! Hold up!" someone yelled. Confused, Scott turned around.

"What?" he asked, seeing one of the football players.

"Coach just put up the roster. Don't ya wanna see if you made the team?" the boy queried.

"Oh yeah," Scott responded. He followed the boy to the gym. Once there, he maneuvered his way through the crowd.

"Way to go, Barringer!" someone shouted.

"What? You mean I made it?" Scott asked in surprise.

"Yeah!" was the response.

"As what?" came the next question.

"The mascot," the same person answered sarcastically. "The quarterback. What do you think?" they continued.

"No way," Scott stated as he continued through the throng. He stopped when he saw the roster. Just as the person had said, there was his name on the roster: Scott Barringer: quarterback.

"Awesome," he laughed. "Man, I can't wait to tell my folks, they'll flip." With that, he raced out of the gym. The boy was so excited, that he forgot to watch where he was going and ran into Shelby.

"Hey. Watch the fire, Cowboy," she laughed as picked up her backpack, which had fallen in the impact. Thankfully, it had been closed and nothing spilled out.

"Sorry, Shelby. I guess I got so excited, I forgot to watch where I was going," Scott apologized.

"What's the deal?" Shelby wondered.

"I made the spot. I'm the new quarterback," Scott excitedly told her.

"All right," she said, slapping him five. Then, "When do you want to get together to work on our report?"

"Why not now? Come over to my place," Scott invited.

"I'd have to ask my mom," Shelby said. Scott took his cell phone out of his backpack, turned it on, and handed it to her. She dialed her mom's work number.

"Hello?" she heard her mom ask.

"Hi, Mom. It's me. Listen, there's this English report due next Friday and my partner Scott and I thought we'd go to his house and get an early start on it. Is that okay?" Shelby asked.

"Who's Scott?" Alice Merrick queried.

"He's the new boy in school," Shelby replied.

"Will his parents be there?" Alice questioned. Shelby turned to Scott.

"She wants to know if your parents will be home," she reported.

"My parents won't be, but a friend of my step mom's will," Scott replied. Shelby relayed this information to her mother, who then had another concern, Shelby's younger sister, Jess.

"Mom, Jess is fourteen years old. I'm sure she'll be fine alone for a few hours," Shelby reminded.

"Can I see that for a sec?" Scott requested.

"Here, Mom. Scott wants to talk to you," Shelby said, then handed over the cell phone.

"Mrs. Merrick? This is Scott Barringer. Would you like my home number?" Scott asked.

"Yes, please," Mrs. Merrick responded.

"555-9845," Scott told her.

"555-9845," Mrs. Merrick repeated, writing down the number.

"And if it'll put you more at ease, Jess is more than welcome to come along and I can keep an eye on her," Scott offered.

"No, uh, Shelby's right. Besides, she's going through that stage where she wants to be independent," Mrs. Merrick said. Scott laughed and they hung up.

"Well?" Shelby asked.

"Let's go," Scott said. With that, they went to the school parking lot.

"I'll follow you in my car," Shelby said.

"All right," Scott accepted. They each got into their respective vehicles and drove off. Minutes later, they reached Scott's house and walked up to the door, where the boy took out a key and put in the slot.

"We can work in the living room," Scott told her.

"And…where would **that** be?" Shelby asked.

"Oh. Sorry," Scott apologized. He led her to the living room.

"Sooooo….what play you wanna do?" he wondered.

"_Romeo And Juliet_," was the answer. "It's always been one of my favorites," she continued.

"All right. I think Elaine has a copy out here somewhere," Scott said, as he began to look around.

"Who's Elaine?" Shelby asked.

"My step mom," Scott responded. Then, "Ah! Here it is!" With that, he pulled the book off the shelf, then went to sit down. They opened it and looked through the book. Deciding to the report on the title characters, they went straight to work. Soon, they were so engrossed in their work, that they hardly noticed when the time flew and were startled when the door opened.

"Dad, Elaine," Scott said in surprise. "Is it five already?" he wondered in surprise.

"It is," Martin confirmed.

"Scott, who's your friend?" Elaine questioned.

"Oh! This is Shelby Merrick. We were working on a school project together," Scott explained.

"Scott, what are the rules?" Martin asked.

"I'm supposed to ask before inviting people over. I know. I forgot. I'm sorry," Scott responded.

"Martin, it's not like it happens all the time. I'm sure you can let it go just this once," Elaine persuaded.

"All right," Martin conceded. "But don't do it again," he continued sternly.

"I…think I better go," Shelby said, beginning to gather her things.

"Yeah. I think so too," Scott agreed, as he helped her.

"Walk me to my car?" Shelby asked.

"It'd…be the polite thing to do," Scott answered. As they walked out the door, he ignored his stepmother who grinned knowingly. As the door shut, she went into the kitchen.

"So, here we are," Scott said as they reached her car.

"**That** was your step mom?" Shelby asked.

"Yeah, I know. It's a little weird. But Elaine's cool," Scott said.

"See ya in school tomorrow," Shelby said.

"Yeah. See ya," Scott echoed. She got into her car and drove off. Scott gave a little wave, then walked back inside, where the smells of something cooking greeted him.

"Something smells good Elaine," he stated.

"What makes you think Elaine's cooking?" Martin wondered.

"Come on, Dad. We all know you can't cook worth beans," Scott reminded his father. Everybody laughed.

"He's got you there, Marty," Cecilia giggled. Scott ignored her and turned to his parents.

"I've got big news," he reported.

"Really?" Martin asked.

"Does it have anything to do with your football tryouts the other day?" Elaine wondered.

"Yes," Scott answered.

"So spill. What happened?" Elaine urged.

"I made team. I'm the new quarterback," Scott replied. With a happy squeal, the woman hugged her stepson.

"Scott, that's great!" she exclaimed.

"That's my boy," his father stated, patting him on the back.

"Congratulations, Scotty," Cecilia oozed, touching his back. Scott tried not to flinch at her touch, but Elaine noticed the slight movement of his shoulder. She frowned. What was wrong? She was about to ask when she heard a whistling sound caught her attention.

"Oh! Dinner!" she cried. As she hurried towards the stove, everyone else sat down. Presently, she brought out the food.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know it's common practice for football practice to be directly after school, but I just needed this scene for S&S. After this, I'll be more realistic football-wise.


	11. Losing Control

SHOUT OUTS AND ANSWERS

Kal's Gal: Hey, a new reviewer. Awesome. Glad you like the story so far.

20006ccampbell: Yes, she is. Glad you're enjoying the story.

Keke1: Thanks. Perhaps. Just wait and see.

Queen of Shadows: Oh, I have some ideas for the play. About Elaine noticing what Cecilia's doing to Scott, you'll have to wait and see.

JadeAlmasy: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family. I only own Cecilia and anyone else you don't recognize. And I know I haven't shown Sophie or Peter yet, and I apologize. They're in this chapter though, so I hope you forgive me.

The next day at school, Scott went straight to his locker, without looking at anyone.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Juliette wondered.

"I'm fine," Scott answered angrily, opening his locker. As he put his books away, images of the previous night hit him.

"_Scotty? Scotty, are you up?" Cecilia questioned. _

"_Go away," Scott moaned._

"_But you gave us such great news. I think you deserve a prize," Cecilia responded, walking up to the bed._

"_Get out," Scott said. _

"_Scotty, don't be like that," Cecilia scolded, as she began to stroke his hair. Scott tried to move out of her reach, but she quickly intercepted him._ Scott tossed a book into his locker. The others jumped in surprise as he got the books he needed. Without waiting for the others, he stomped off.

"What's wrong with **him**?" Juliette wondered.

"I don't know," Auggie answered. As the day progressed, his attitude grew worse. In gym, they all lined up for basketball. The gym teacher, Sophie Becker picked out the teams and got the game started. Scott, Shelby, and Daisy were on one team with some other students, while, Ezra, Auggie, Juliette, and David were on the other. Presently, the vice principal, Peter Scarbrow came in and sat down on one of the bleachers.

"Hey, uh, check it out," Daisy said to Shelby. She and the others looked to where the man was sitting.

"Oh my gosh. Can Vice Principal Scarbrow **be** any more obvious?" Shelby laughed.

"Will you guys shut it?" Scott snapped.

"Hey. If you got a problem, don't take it out on us, Jocko," Daisy tossed back.

"Whatever," Scott sighed with a huff. He grabbed the ball from one his teammates and tossed it towards the net. It went in.

"Wow! Great shot, Scott!" a girl enthused.

"Thanks," Scott said. He was shocked when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Can we get back to the game here?" Sophie requested.

"Wow. You're so athletic," the girl sighed, moving closer.

"Stop it," Scott said nervously.

"Oh, come on. Don't be shy," she scolded.

"Stop it," Scott repeated, trying to move away. However, she kept her hold on him.

"Guys, I mean it. Let's get back to the game," Sophie repeated. Nobody moved, but watched as the girl stepped even closer to Scott. Then, she moved a hand to his cheek and began to stroke.

"I SAID STOP IT!" Scott screamed, pushing her to the floor.

"Scott!" Sophie cried. He ran off, with Peter close behind. Once inside the boys' locker room, he began kicking one of the lockers.

"_Scotty. Scotty. Scotty. Scotty," Cecilia moaned._ Tears fell from Scott's eyes as the images rushed back. _She ran her hands down his back, as she kissed his neck._

"_Mmm. You feel so good," she sighed._

"_Stop it," Scott told her. Her only response was to lean in closer. He sobbed and clutched his pillow._

"_Please. Stop," he begged._

"_Ssssssh. They'll hear us," the woman cautioned._ Scott continued to kick and hit the locker.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" he shrieked.

"Scott!" Vice Principal Scarbrow yelled.

"STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Scott shrieked again. The man ran up to the boy and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Scott! Scott! It's okay!" he cried over the youth's screams.

"_Scotty," Cecilia called seductively._ Scott's breathing quickened.

"No," he moaned.

"_Sco----otty," Cecilia called again._ With a sob, the boy sank to the ground, pulling the vice principal with him.

"It's okay, man. You're okay," the man whispered soothingly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know that faculty can't fraternize socially, but hey, this is **my** fic. And don't worry, though there's isn't any here, there **will** be some Peter\Sophie scenes.


	12. Questions, But No Answers

DISCLAIMER

I only own Cecilia. Nothing else. And I know the store name's stupid, but oh, well.

Meanwhile, at _Cards R Us_, Elaine had just finished helping a customer when the phone rang.

"_Cards R Us_. How may I help you?" she queried. "This is she," she confirmed. "Scott did **what**?" she asked. "Um, thank you. I'll be right down," she stated. With that, she hung up and headed for the exit.

"Elaine, where are you going?" a co-worker asked.

"There's a problem down at the school," Elaine responded.

"Is there anything I can do?" the co-worker wondered.

"No. I've got it," Elaine answered. She walked out of the store and towards her car. Moments later, she had reached the school. Then, she hurried into the building.

"Mrs. Barringer?" a man asked.

"Yes. Where's Scott?" Elaine queried.

"Principal's office. Follow me," the man replied. She did so. When they got to the principal's office, they found the principal, a woman, and Scott sitting in a chair, head hung, hands on both shoulders.

"So, what exactly happened here?" Elaine wondered.

"It was in the middle of gym, they were playing basketball. After sinking a basket, I saw one of the girls go up to him and begin to flirt. Apparently, your stepson didn't like it and I think he was telling her to leave him alone. When she wouldn't, he pushed her to the ground and then ran into the locker room where I saw him hitting and kicking a locker," the vice principal replied.

"Scott, do you want to tell me what happened? Why did you push that girl?" Elaine asked.

"She wouldn't leave me alone," Scott answered miserably.

"What do you mean?" Elaine asked. Scott didn't answer, but rubbed his neck with his hands.

"Scott?" Vice Principal Scarbrow prodded. Still, the boy was silent.

"Scott?" Principal Markasian prompted.

"Look! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt her, okay?" Scott yelled, finally looking up.

"Scott," Sophie, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" Scott yelled.

"Um, may I speak to him in private?" Elaine requested.

"Sure," Principal Markasian agreed. With that, the trio left.

"Okay, Scott. It's just you and me. Tell me what's going on," his stepmother urged. Scott let out a shaky breath.

"I---" he began.

_"They'll never believe you. I'm Elaine's best friend," Cecilia smirked._ Scott sighed in defeat.

"Scott, talk to me. Why can't you just talk to me?" she wondered.

"I can't. I'm sorry, okay?" he responded. With that, he walked away. Elaine let out a worried breath.


	13. Threat

SHOUT OUTS AND ANSWERS

DISCLAIMER

Keke1: I am, aren't I? Thanks. Glad you liked the Elaine\Scott scene.

Queen of Shadows: Thanks. I hope this is soon enough.

Kal's Gal: I will.

2008ccampbell: Yes, I did. I will. Thanks.

JadeAlmasy: Yeah, you're right about poor Scott. As for Elaine believing Scott, you'll have to wait and see.

O.L.A.: Thanks. Hope this is soon enough.

After practice that day, Scott and Elaine came home.

"Scott, I just don't understand why you don't think you can talk to me," the young woman said.

"Elaine, will you just leave it?" the boy snapped.

"Scott, I don't want you talking to her like that!" Martin cried. His wife motioned for him to keep quiet.

"What's going on?" Cecilia wondered.

"Scott kinda flipped out in gym today," Elaine replied.

"What do you mean 'flipped' out?" Martin asked. She relayed what the vice principal had told her.

"Scott, why would you do that?" Martin wondered. For a moment, Scott hesitated, looking at Cecila, who gave him a warning glare.

"Well?" his father prodded.

"I was just having a bad day and I took it on her," he finally answered. Martin sighed.

"Just don't let it happen again," he stated.

"I won't," Scott assured. He walked up the stairs and headed for his room, closing the door. He sat on his bed Only a few minutes later, the door opened to reveal Cecilia, who.

"Hey! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Scott angrily asked, jumping up.

"What did you tell them?" Cecilia demanded, closing the door.

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked.

"You were called to the principal's office, where they asked questions. Now, what did you say?" Cecilia asked again.

"Not a word," Scott responded.

"Good," Cecilia said. She put a hand on his cheek. "You know, Scotty. I've had so much fun," she continued. Scott averted his gaze. "Look at me when I'm talking to you," she snapped. Reluctantly, he did so. "Just so you know, if you even **think** about revealing our little secret, I will convince them that **you** came after **me**. And who do you think they'll believe? A sixteen-year old brat, or a grown woman?" With a smirk, she brushed her hand across his cheek. With lightning speed, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. Scott tried to escape, but Cecilia just held him tightly as she kissed him. Then, she pushed him roughly, causing him to fall against his bed.

"See ya later, Scotty," Cecilia whispered seductively. With that, she left the room. Scott leaned against the wall and sighed heavily.


	14. Romeo And Juliet

SHOUT OUTS AND ANSWERS

Keke1: Thanks. Maybe she will, maybe she won't. You'll have to wait and see.

2008ccampbell: Thanks. I will.

JadeAlmasy: Scott's scared right now. He'll get stronger, I promise.

Melms213 (chs 9, 11, and 12): Thanks. Yes, it will.

Kal's Gal: Okay.

Queen of Shadows: Yeah, you are. Thanks.

ShalBrenfan: here's more.

DISCLAIMER

All Higher Ground characters belong to Fox Family. I only own Cecilia.

The next morning, Scott woke up to the d.j. announcing the weather.

"And a beautiful sunny morning it is," the man said cheerfully. With a grumble, the boy turned off his alarm. Then, he got out of bed and got dressed. He sighed. He didn't know what to do about Cecilia. His freak out yesterday had raised a whole bunch of questions. Ones that he couldn't **possibly** answer if he wanted to keep the peace. He had---he had just lost it when that girl had begun flirting with him. She had been acting just like Cecilia. He grabbed his stuff and went downstairs. Without stopping for breakfast, he headed out the door.

"Scott---" Elaine began to say. However, the door closed before she could say anymore. The woman sighed.

"Was that Scotty that just left?" Cecilia asked.

"Yep," Elaine responded. Minutes later, Scott entered the parking lot of West Moor High and turned his car off with a sigh. Then, hoisting his backpack onto a shoulder, he headed for the entrance of the school. Then, he walked down the halls.

"Hey, Meat!" a voice called. Scott laughed.

"Hey, Auggie!" he acknowledged.

"You're in a better mood than yesterday," Juliette noted.

"Yeah. I…was dealing with some stuff. Sorry," Scott apologized.

"Forget it," Shelby responded. It was then that Scott noticed that one of their group was missing.

"Hey, where's Ezra?" he wondered.

"Oh. E.Z.'s in talkin' with Hannah," Auggie replied.

"That's…the counselor, right?" Scott asked, trying to remember.

"Yeah. She's a good sound board," Auggie stated.

"Oh. Hey, Scott, before I forget, you wanna go over the report at lunch?" Shelby queried.

"Sure," Scott said. Then, the bell rang and they went on their way. At lunch, Scott grabbed a tray, and got in line for some food.

"Hey, Scott," a voice greeted. Scott turned around to see a black girl with a boy with dark hair and brown eyes.

"Oh, hey. Kat, right?" he checked.

"Right," she confirmed. "This is my boyfriend, Hank Ferris," she continued.

"Hi," Scott said.

"Listen, do you want to eat with us?" Kat invited.

"Normally I'd love to, but Shelby and I are gonna work on our reports," Scott answered.

"Ah. Gotcha," Kat said. With that, they moved up the line and went their separate ways. Scott went to a table where he saw Shelby and sat down.

"Okay, so as we agreed, I did Juliet, and I found that she was so in love that she would do anything, even fake her own death," Shelby said.

"Well, that's what she and Romeo have in common," Scott reminded her.

"So. What about our fair Romeo?" Shelby teased, causing Scott to roll his eyes. Then, "I found that Romeo was in a tricky situation. I mean, he finds out that his cousin Mercutio was murdered, so naturally, he wants revenge. Only one problem---it's Tybalt, Juliet's cousin. I mean, how whack is that?"

"And yet, Juliet still loves him, even after killing him," Shelby observed. They leaned in towards each other, talking in soft tones.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know it seems like I'm neglecting Hannah, but I assure you, she'll be in here later.


	15. Shelby Finds Out

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Kal's Gal: Glad you're enjoying the story.

Anonymous: Glad you're liking the story. I bet it's interesting not having Elaine as the evil one. Of course I'd add the other characters. Hope this is soon enough.

Queen of Shadows: Glad you're enjoying this. Thanks for the correction. I haven't read the play for awhile. Sorry.

2008ccampbell: Here's more.

Keke1: Thanks.

ShalBrenfan: Thanks. I will.

Melms213: Glad you're enjoying the fic.

Callie: Glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the correction.

JadeAlmasy: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER\DISCLAIMER

I only own Cecilia and the plot. Everything else belongs to Fox Family. And I know the intertwining phone conversations are a bit confusing, but it was the only way I could make it work.

After school that day, Scott headed out for the field for football practice. Shelby and the others convened on the bleachers to watch.

"Wow. He's really good," Shelby sighed.

"I think someone has a crush," Juliette teased.

"I think someone needs to shut their yap," Shelby tossed back good-naturedly. The others laughed.

"Come on, Shel. We've all seen how you look at him," Kat pointed out.

"I don't think the feeling's mutual," Shelby disagreed. "I mean, you saw how he flipped out in gym when Rachel tried to flirt with him," she continued.

"Yeah, that **was** weird," David agreed.

"What do you think it meant?" Ezra wondered. Shelby fell silent. Her mind went back to his freak out and then when Juliette had hugged him that one day after tryouts. Now that she thought about it, he had seemed kinda nervous at the contact. Could it be what she thought it was? Could **it** be happening to him? And if so, who? His stepmother? Shelby figured it made the most sense. She was pretty young. Shouting brought her out of her reverie.

"What? What happened?" she wondered.

"Where did you go, chica? You missed a great play," Auggie said.

"It's only practice. She's allowed to wander," Daisy defended.

"Who did what?" Shelby questioned.

"Scott just made an amazing tackle," Ezra responded. Shelby shook her head and forced herself to concentrate on the practice. However, the suspicion of what she thought Scott could be going through nagged her at the back of her mind. Finally, the players were dismissed. Everyone cheered. With a slight laugh and a shake of his head, Scott headed over to his friends.

"That was great, Scott," Juliette said, touching his arm. For a moment, Scott's eyes clouded, but then, he smiled.

"Thanks," he acknowledged.

"Yeah. Pretty good, Jocko," Daisy agreed.

"Kat, I hate to leave, but I'm gonna be late for my shift if I don't get a move on," Hank said. Kat let out a groan.

"Okay, see ya later," she said. He gave her a peck on the cheek, and then took off.

"Yeah, we better get going too," Juliette agreed, as and Auggie intertwined their fingers. Everybody began saying their goodbyes.

"Hey, Scott, you wanna come over to my house?" Shelby invited.

"Sure. Just let me ask my dad," Scott responded. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his father's work number, just as Shelby did the same.

"Martin Barringer," a man announced. A few seconds later, Shelby's call made it through.

"Hey Mom, is it okay if I invite a friend over?" Shelby wondered.

"Is this friend a boy?" her mother, Alice Merrick, questioned.

"Well, yeah," Shelby admitted. "But I **really** want you to meet him, Mom," she continued.

"Okay, that's fine, Shelby," Alice responded.

"Thanks, Mom," Shelby said. She hung up the phone.

"Dad, Shelby invited me to her house. Is it all right if I go?" Scott asked at the same time.

"I suppose. Just don't stay out too late. It's supposed to storm later," Martin responded.

"Yes, sir," Scott replied. As he hung up, his stomach knotted. He **hated** storms. That was when Cecilia got worse. She used the gale as an excuse.

"You okay?" Shelby asked, hanging up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Scott lied.

"Come on," she told Scott.

"Okay. But I'll have to follow you in the car," was his response. Shelby agreed to this and they left. About fifteen minutes later, they reached her house.

"Mom, I'm home," she called.

"Hi, honey," Mrs. Merrick greeted, coming to meet them. "This must be Scott," she noted.

"Hello, Mrs. Merrick. It's nice to meet you," Scott stated, offering a hand. Just then, fourteen-year old Jessica "Jess" Merrick came out.

"Hey, who's this?" Scott asked with a grin.

"This is Jess, my younger sister," Shelby replied.

"Hi," Scott greeted.

"Hi," Jess said. "So you're the one Shelby keeps talking about," she continued. It wasn't said teasingly, just matter-of-factly.

"Jess!" Shelby exclaimed in embarrassment. Scott stifled a laugh.

"I think I'll go see about dinner," Mrs. Merrick stated.

"Would you like some help, Mrs. Merrick?" Scott offered.

"Oh, no, Scott. You're the guest. We'll help Mom," Shelby said.

"Yeah," Jess agreed.

"You sure?" Scott asked.

"Yes. But thanks for the offer," Mrs. Merrick answered. With that, the three went into the kitchen. Scott blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. What could he do? With another sigh, he went into the living room and sat down. A few minutes later, Shelby came in.

"Come on. Dinner's ready," she said.

"That was fast," he commented, standing up. He followed her to the dinner table.

"Mom just had to heat up the chicken. It took her half an hour to actually cook it yesterday," Shelby said.

"Great. I love leftovers," Scott joked. Shelby laughed. They sat down and began to eat. As dinner progressed, everyone talked and laughed. Jess told them of a classmate spilling her lunch all over herself when another classmate had scared her with a rubber frog.

"Oh, that's terrible," Scott said with sympathetic laughter.

"Yeah, she was pretty ticked," Jess agreed. However, she was unable to hide the small smile. After dinner, everyone stood up.

"You don't have to do that," Shelby said, when she noticed Scott gathering up the dishes.

"Come on. You wouldn't let me help set the table. At least let me help with the dishes," Scott said.

"Okay," Shelby agreed with a resigned sigh. The two teens went into the kitchen.

"I think I like this boy," Mrs. Merrick whispered to her younger daughter. They laughed. As they were doing the dishes, they all heard a fierce pitter-pattering.

"Sounds like the storm's starting," Shelby stated.

"Yeah," Scott said softly. _I hate storms_, he thought. However, he didn't voice this, but merely scrubbed the plate in his hands even harder. Minutes later, they were done.

"Well, I guess I better get going," Scott said.

"But, Scott---" Shelby began to protest.

"I think Dad would prefer that I got home before the storm gets out of control," Scott interrupted. Just then, a burst of lightning filled the sky! Scott jumped.

"Oh, you can't drive out in that," Alice stated. "I'm going to call your parents," she declared. With that, she dialed the number and waited a few minutes. Then, "Is this Martin Barringer?" When she learned that it was, she continued. "This is Alice Merrick, Shelby's mother. Listen, the storm has gotten pretty bad and now there's lighting. I don't really think Scott would be safe driving through it."

"You're absolutely right," Martin agreed. "Send him home as soon as the storm ends," he continued.

"Of course," Alice responded. She hung up. "Scott, you're going to stay here until this blows over," she reported.

"Great," Scott said. And he meant it. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about Cecilia.

"Hey, is anybody up for Monopoly?" Jess queried.

"I love that game," Scott answered.

"Great. I'll get the board," Jess said.

"Want help?" Scott offered. For a moment, the young girl hesitated.

"Uh…that's okay. You're our guest," she finally answered. Sure the thing with Walt was over and done with, but she was still nervous about being alone with a guy. She went out into the hall to retrieve the game. Confused, Scott looked at Shelby.

"Was it something I said?" he asked.

"Don't take it personally," she answered. "She's still trying to deal with some stuff," she told him.

"Oh," Scott said softly. He wondered what kind of stuff. She had looked pretty nervous when he had offered to go with her. Had she gone through the same thing he was currently experiencing? Man, he hoped not. She was just a little girl. Merely fourteen. Minutes later, she came out with the game.

"Okay, let's play," the girl announced.

"All right," the others approved. They sat down and set everything up. Then, they began to play. For several minutes, Scott even forgot about the storm. But then, a loud crack of thunder was heard and lightning lit the sky! With a gasp, Scott looked up.

"Scott?" Jess asked.

_"Scotty?" Cecilia asked._

"Hey, are you okay?" Shelby queried.

_"Scotty?" Cecilia asked again._ Scott let out a shaky breath.

"Scott? Are…you okay?" Mrs. Merrick asked in concern.

_"Scotty," Cecilia called._

"Um, excuse me. I---I---I---I---excuse me," Scott stammered. Without waiting for an answer, he rushed away.

"Be right back," Shelby stated. With that, she ran after Scott. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Scott was pacing back and forth, trying not to remember.

_"Scotty? Scotty, are you up?" Cecilia asked._

"Go away. Leave me alone," Scott muttered to himself.

"_But Scotty, I'm so scared," Cecilia whined._

"No you're not, witch," Scott snapped darkly.

_"Scotty," Cecilia whined._

"Scott?" a voice asked, breaking into his reverie. Scott whirled around.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Uh---"

_"Ssssshhh," Cecilia warned, a finger to her lips._

"What is it?" Shelby asked. Lightning flashed again and Scott's face became pained.

_"Scotty, please. I'm scared," Cecilia whined._

"Get….**OUT**!" Scott shrieked. Instinctively, Shelby knew she had been right. Someone was abusing him.

"Who is it, Scott?" Shelby asked.

"What are you talking about?" Scott questioned.

"Who's abusing you?" Shelby asked again. _It's probably his step mom, I'll bet anything it's her_, she thought to herself.

"A---abusing?" Scott repeated. "N---I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered.

"Scott, it's okay. Just let it out," Shelby urged.

_"They'll never believe you," Cecilia smirked._

"Is it Elaine? Is she the one---"

"No! Elaine's got nothing to do with it!" Scott exclaimed. _Not his step mom?_ Shelby asked herself in surprise. _Then, who?_ she wondered.

_"Who do you think they'll believe? A sixteen-year old brat or a grown woman?" Cecilia queried smugly._

"Then, **who**?" Shelby prompted.

"I can't!" Scott shouted, as tears began to fall.

"Why not?" Shelby asked.

"She's her best friend!" Scott exclaimed again. Sobbing, Scott fell to the ground. Shelby knelt down beside him.

"Sssssh, sssssh, ssssssh. It's okay," she whispered.

"I can't---I can't tell Elaine. Cecilia's her best friend," Scott cried.

"It's okay. You're safe tonight," Shelby comforted.

"She comes into my room, says she's scared and stuff. And then she---" he stopped with a rasping sob. Whispering comforts into his ear, Shelby held him.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Does anyone know what happened to the Hayden site http/ It seems to have disappeared on me. So


	16. Worried

SHOUTOUTSANSWERS

Mary-023: Thanks. Hope this is soon enough.

JadeAlmasy: Thanks.

2008ccampbell: Yes, I did. And I know I am. Hope this is soon enough.

ShalBrenfan: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Higher ground belongs to Fox Family. I only own Cecilia.

The next morning, Scott entered the school and walked down the hall slowly. Without a word, he approached his locker.

"Mornin', Scott," Juliette chirped. He didn't answer. "Scott, are you okay?" Juliette asked in concern.

"Yeah," Scott answered softly.

"Oye, you don't look too good, Meat," Auggie noted worriedly. At this, Shelby turned around. Her eyes widened at Scott's defeated stance. What had happened last night? Had Cecilia gotten to him again?

"I'm---fine," Scott said.

"Come on you guys. Lay off. Jocko obviously doesn't want to talk," Daisy stated.

"Yeah. Let's get to class," Ezra agreed. With that, the others grabbed their things and went on their way.

"Shelby, you comin'?" David asked.

"In a minute," Shelby responded. Once they were out of earshot, she turned to Scott.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Scott, it's just us," she assured.

"She was waiting," he said hoarsely.

"She was already in your room?" Shelby queried. Scott nodded.

"She said---she said she had been so frightened. Needed to be comforted. I told her to get out. But she didn't. She just---" he broke off with a moan.

"Have you told your parents?" Shelby asked.

"No! I can't tell! Not **ever**!" Scott softly exclaimed. Before Shelby could reply, the bell rang.

"That's the bell. Come on," she said. She started out, but Scott didn't follow. She turned around.

"Scott, come on! If you're late, you can't turn in your report!" she reminded him.

"I don't know if I even care anymore," Scott admitted.

"Hey, don't talk like that," Shelby said softly. She walked up to him and took his hand. "It'll be okay," she assured.

"Will it? She was---she was pretty bad last night," Scott said.

"Come on. Don't even think about it," Shelby encouraged. With that, she pulled him into class, where they handed in their papers. Then, they sat down. Scott slumped in his seat. He didn't know what to do. It was just getting worse now. She had---she had been rougher. Said it was his punishment for making her wait. He had figured she would've been asleep by the time he had gotten home, seeing how it had been so late. Shelby reached over and put a comforting hand on his wrist. He gave her a soft, sad smile. Shelby looked at him worriedly.


	17. First Game

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground belongs to Fox Family. I only own Cecilia. And I know absolutely **nothing** about football, so don't kill me for the terribleness of this chapter.

Later that day, Scott found himself suited up and out on the field. Nervously, he blew out a breath. He couldn't believe he was out here! It was great! And nerve-wracking. Everyone lined up for the kick-off. With a snap, the ball flew through the air.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go!" Juliette squealed.

"Come on, run!" Kat shouted. Scott chased after the player that had the ball and tackled him.

"Oh, **that**'**s** gonna hurt," Auggie winced.

"At least it's not one of our guys," Hank responded.

"True," Auggie agreed. They turned back to the game. Over the next two hours, the whole stadium became engrossed.

"Come on, Scott!" Elaine shouted. The game finally ended when Scott made the final touchdown. As the players came to the bleachers, Elaine and Martin ran down the steps and immediately crushed Scott in a hug.

"Way to go! That was wonderful!" Elaine congratulated.

"That's my boy," Martin added.

"Uh, okay. Breathing is becoming an issue," Scott rasped.

"Oh. Sorry," they apologized, letting go.

"Scott, your father and I are going to a party later this evening, but Cecilia will be home. Will you be okay?" Elaine questioned. _I'm going to be alone with that skank?_ Scott's mind cried.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," was what he said out loud. Then, he walked away towards the crowd. Martin looked at Elaine.

"What was **that** all about?" he wondered.

"I'm---not sure," Elaine admitted truthfully. Then, they left the stadium.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Keke1, I am holding my next chapter hostage. The ransom is at least **one** new chapter from you.


	18. Busted

SHOUTSOUTS\ANSWERS

Queen of Shadows: I'm glad you liked the new chapters.

BrucasDreamerfan-aka Anna: You're a new reviewer. Yay. I **definitely** would've remembered a handle as awesome as this one.

Melms213: I'm glad you're enjoying the story, but I can do whatever I want.

2008ccampbell: my story, my rules.

DISCLAIMER

Higher Ground is the property of Fox Family. I only own Cecilia. Ah, I figured the heck with it. Why torture you guys? You're a good audience.

"Scott, are you sure you'll be okay?" Elaine asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Elaine," Scott lied. What he really wanted to was grab her and beg her and Dad to stay home. But then he'd have to explain why and that was against the rules. Elaine stared at her stepson, unable to decipher his expression. She wasn't sure why, but she was getting strange vibes from him.

"We can always stay home," Elaine offered.

"Oh, Scotty and I will be fine, Lanie," Cecilia smiled, pulling Scott into a half-hug. Scott stiffened, but then quickly relaxed. However, this action wasn't unnoticed by his stepmother.

"If you're sure---" she began.

"We're sure," Cecilia interrupted.

"Yeah. You and Dad go have fun," Scott agreed.

"Come on, honey. They'll be fine," Martin assured.

"We have our cell phones if you need us, Scott," Elaine stated.

"Lanie, we'll be fine!" Cecilia laughed. With that, Martin and Elaine left. As soon as the car was heard leaving the driveway, Cecilia turned to Scott.

"Finally. We're alone," she said seductively.

"I've got homework," Scott told her. He began to pass her, but she quickly grabbed his wrist.

"But you played such a good game, Scotty. And you won it for them. Don't you want your reward?" the woman asked provocatively. Without waiting for a response, she began her usual act of stroking his neck with a finger.

"Get away from me!" Scott cried, shoving her. Then, he ran upstairs to his room. He had just closed his door when he heard her footsteps on the stairs.

"Sco----otty," she called. Scott panted. He wasn't---he wasn't going to do this anymore. "Scotty?" she asked. "Scoooooooo------ooooottttttyyyyyyyyy," she summoned, dragging out his name. Scott quickly turned the lock on his door. No way was she getting in tonight. He had been too scared to lock it the other nights. But not tonight. Tonight, she'd see. She'd see that he wasn't going to stand for it anymore. Meanwhile, at the party, Martin and Elaine stood around, talking to their friends. However, Elaine's mind wasn't on their little soiree. She was too busy thinking about their son. Something was wrong. She was sure of it. Back home, Cecilia had reached Scott's door only to find it locked.

"Scotty, you open this door right now," the woman demanded.

"No," he defied.

"But Scotty, I'm scared," she whined.

"There's not even a storm, skank," he snapped.

"Well, I guess I'll just call Martin and Elaine and tell them all about us," she said.

"No!" Scott cried. He may not have wanted her to come into his room, but he didn't her telling his parents. He unlocked the door.

"Good boy," Cecilia smirked, pushing the entryway open. At the party, Elaine's uneasiness grew.

"Martin, we need to leave," she declared.

"What are you talking about?" Martin asked in confusion.

"We need to go. There's something **really** wrong at home. I can feel it," Elaine stated.

"Okay," Martin accepted. They said good-bye to their friends, then left. Meanwhile, Cecilia had moved quickly, pinning Scott to the bed with her body. He struggled underneath her. Her response was to knee him in the stomach. He groaned. Her hands moved to his shirt.

"No. No, please," Scott pleaded.

"Ssssssh," Cecilia warned, a finger to her lips.

"Cecilia, p---please," Scott begged. She ignored him, removed his shirt, and placed her hand on his chest. He panted shakily.

"No," he whispered. She caressed his cheek and then pressed her body against his. Suddenly, they heard the opening of a door. Cecilia jerked up and Scott froze. _No. They can't be home. Please, no_, he thought to himself. _They can't be home this early_, Cecilia thought. For a moment, she hesitated, not wanting to get caught. But then, her desires took over and she resumed her torture. Downstairs, Elaine and Martin looked around the front room. Martin was about to call out, when Elaine shushed him and gestured towards the stairs. Together, they ascended the steps. As they reached the top, they heard a boy sobbing and pleading.

"Oh, no. Scott," Elaine said and doubled her pace. Once she was upstairs, she ran towards Scott's room, yanked open the door, and flipped the switch on. Enraged, she dashed towards them, grabbed Cecilia and flung her across the room.

"Get away from stepson!" she shrieked as Scott sat up.

"Lanie," Cecilia gasped. "Scotty, he---"

"**Scott**. His name is **Scott**," Elaine interrupted. "Martin, call the police," she continued.

"Right," Martin said. He went into their bedroom to do so. Scott began to cry.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," he said.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Scott. **She** did this, not you," the woman told him. Scott wiped away his tears.

"You mean you believe me?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she answered.

"She said you wouldn't," he said.

"Scott, we're your parents. We will **always** believe you," she responded.

"Yeah?" Scott asked.

"Yeah," Elaine whispered. The boy cried again as his stepmother held him.


	19. CPS

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Queen of Shadows: Come on! you weren't thinking that she'd **never** get caught, did ya? Glad you liked it.

2008ccampbell: Glad I could you make you happy.

ShalBrenfan: Thanks. I always do.

Co: Thanks. Of course there's another chapter. The story's **far** from over.

Linkie: Thanks. Yeah, I didn't want to make Martin an idiot in this story.

Keke1: Thanks. Forget about the website. I believe it's defunct.

DISCLAIMER

I only own Cecilia and the CPS officers. Everything else belongs to Fox Family.

Moments later, Martin walked in.

"The police said they'd be here with Child Protective Service in a few minutes," he reported.

"Good," Elaine approved in a hard tone.

"Lanie, you can't **possibly**---" Cecilia began, as she stood up.

"My name is Elaine," Elaine interrupted.

"He wanted this. There were two of us," Cecilia said.

"Next time, try that on someone who **doesn**'**t** know what he's going through," Elaine shot back. "I don't believe this. How can you do this to me, Cecilia? After everything that I went through with my father? Why would you **deliberately** bring that pain to someone in my family?"

"Elaine---" Cecilia interjected.

"You make me sick," Elaine spat out. "I can't believe I **ever** trusted you," she snarled.

"Why are you doing this? You're my best friend," Cecilia reminded her.

"Think again. I'm not friends with skanks," Elaine snapped. "Where are those officers?" she wondered. A few minutes later, they heard the doorbell.

"Let's go," Elaine softly said to Scott. With that, she and Scott went downstairs, with Martin and Cecilia on the heels. Elaine opened the door.

"Come in, officers," she invited. One of the officers looked at the young woman with raised eyebrows.

"We got report of a rape?" an officer asked.

"Back there," Elaine answered, gesturing to Cecilia.

"What exactly happened?" the same officer questioned.

"Well, Martin and were at a party, but I kept getting this bad feeling. You see, Scott's been pretty tense for a while, but I hadn't been able to put my finger on it, but I just knew we had to come back home and when we did, we heard noises from Scott's room. We upstairs to check and found **her**---" Elaine shot dagger eyes at Cecilia. "Raping my stepson," she finished.

"That's a lie! I never touched Scotty! It was Elaine!" Cecilia protested.

"SHUT UP!" Scott screamed. "Don't even **try** to pin this on Elaine! You did this, Skank!"

"Everybody calm down," one of the officers said. "Now, let's just get Scott to the hospital and give him a physical and do a rape kit," he continued.

"No. No," Scott said fearfully.

"Scott, it's okay. They're relatively short," Elaine soothed. At this the officer looked at her.

"You've been raped?" he asked.

"When I was a girl," Elaine answered. The officer decided not to respond to that.

"I'm scared," Scott said to Elaine.

"I know. But it'll be okay," Elaine assured. With that, she walked out. As they did so, they could hear another officer reading Cecilia her rights. At the hospital, Scott sat in a room.

"Do you want us to go or stay?" Elaine asked.

"Stay…please," Scott said. Just then, the doctor came in.

"When will CPS talk to Scott?" asked Elaine.

"A little after the rape kit. Or when Scott feels up to it. Whatever comes first," the doctor answered. He then did the kit. Afterwards, Scott lay back down.

"Scott, I know you just went through torture, but are you up to talking to CPS?" Elaine gently asked a few minutes later.

"Elaine---" Martin began.

"Let's just get it done," Scott decided.

"Okay," Elaine said. "Martin, would you go get them please?" she continued.

"Sure," Martin said. He walked out of the room.

"You'll think they'll believe me?" Scott queried.

"Scott, you don't have to---" Elaine began.

"Yeah, I do," Scott interrupted. "It's---it's gone on long enough," he added.

"I understand," Elaine said. Before either could say anymore, Martin came in with a man at his heels.

"Scott, I'm Rick Feltman from CPS," the second man replied as he set everything up.

"Hi," Scott greeted.

"This is case number 45324832. For the record, would you mind stating your name?" Rick asked.

"Scott Barringer," Scott answered.

"Now, you wanna tell me what happened?" Rick questioned.

"I was raped," Scott said.

"By who?" Rick questioned.

"Cecilia Robbins. She was…a friend of my step mom's," Scott answered.

"And was this the first time?" Rick questioned.

"No," Scott replied. Martin's eyes flashed. Not the first time? This had happened before?

"When did the first incident occur?" Rick queried. Scott sighed.

"A year. Since Elaine and my dad met," Scott responded.

"A ye---" Elaine cut herself off angrily. "From the start? Oh, my gosh! I can't---" again, she trailed off.

"Elaine, I am so sorry," Scott said.

"Scott, this wasn't your fault," Elaine told him. Scott went on to say that things had changed during a vacation the four of them had gone to the beach.

"She glanced at me as I walked by her towel. But it was different, like looking me over," he continued.

"So that was the first time she tried to seduce you?" Rick queried.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that," Scott answered.

"I can't handle this. I'm sorry," Elaine told them and walked out.

"Elaine---" Scott said.

"It's not you, Scott. I'll go check on her," Martin assured. Then, he followed her.

"Elaine?" he asked. He found her sitting in a hall chair, crying. "Elaine, you okay?" he asked softly, kneeling down so they were eye-level.

"Oh, Martin. How could I have been so stupid?" Elaine wondered.

"Elaine, no one's blaming you," Martin told her.

"But I should've figured it out sooner! I mean, all the signs were there! The way he freaked out when we told him she was coming to stay with, all the times he flinched when she touched him…I should've seen it," Elaine sobbed.

"Sssssh, ssssssh, it's okay, honey. It's okay," Martin comforted, hugging her.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I don't know how long a rape kit takes---thank God---and what I know of rape kits comes from what I've seen on Law and Order: SVU. I don't know **how** a rape kit is done, so it was skipped over, but certainly not to gloss over it.


	20. Talking It Out

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Keke1: That's okay, but I'm still holding ya to it. And, as far as I know, you can. Although, I **could** be wrong. Glad you liked the chapters.

2008ccampbell: Here's more.

ShalBrenfan: Thanks. I'll try.

DISCLAIMER

All familiar characters belong to Fox Family. The rest is mine.

A couple of hours later, Scott leaned back and blew out a breath. He was totally drained. His parents had since come back into the room.

"I'm not even going to ask you how you're feeling. You've just gone through the emotional wringer," Elaine said softly.

"For the first time, in so long, I feel like I can breathe again," Scott said emotionally.

"I just wish you had felt like you could tell us from the beginning," Martin said.

"I wanted to, but she said I couldn't. And that even if I **did**, you wouldn't believe me," Scott replied.

"She had no clue what she was talking about," Elaine stated. For a moment, they were all silent.

"Elaine…about what you said back there…about your father. Was that true?" Scott questioned.

"Yes, Scott. My father raped me," Elaine replied. "And I'm so sorry you had to go through this pain," she added, putting a hand on his arm.

"Thanks," Scott said, with a shaky smile. "What do you think will happen now?" he continued.

"The wheels have already been set in motion. For now, we wait," his stepmother answered. Scott leaned back in the bed.


	21. Going Home And A Nightmare

SHOUTOUTSANSWERS

ShalBrenfan: Thanks.

Melms213: Thanks. I didn't think you were being mean. Yeah, I like Elaine this way too.

Keke1: Thanks. And it's a deal.

JadeAlmasy: Thanks. And yes she does.

Kal's Gal: Here's more.

2008ccampbell: Sorry. Here's more.

Queen Of Shadows: Thanks. And the offer I e-mailed to you still stands.

DISCLAIMER

I only own Cecilia. Everything else belongs to Fox Family.

Later, that night, Scott shifted on the hospital bed.

"I wanna go home!" he exclaimed.

"Scott, there's still a lot of people that need to ask you questions," Martin told him.

"I want to go home!" Scott cried. Elaine blew out a breath.

"Martin, maybe we **should** bring him home. He looks awfully tired," she said.

"But where is he going to sleep? I'm sure he doesn't want to go back to the guestroom or his room," Martin pointed out.

"Well, you're right. I mean, after the whole ordeal with my father, I never even wanted to **look** at my old room ever again," Elaine agreed.

"Can't we please just go home? We can figure that out when we get there," Scott said with a hint of a whine.

"I'll go talk to the doctors," Martin stated. With that, he walked out of the room. Scott sighed.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like a brat," he apologized.

"You're just tired," his stepmother dismissed. She reached out as if to touch his arm, but then pulled it back.

"It's okay, Elaine," Scott assured. She reached out and patted his arm. They smiled at each other. Just then, Martin came back with a doctor.

"Scott, your father tells me you want to go home. Are you sure that's what you want?" the doctor questioned.

"Yeah, I wanna go home," Scott insisted.

"Mr. and Mrs. Barringer, you're the legal guardians," the doctor stated.

"We'll sign the release papers," Elaine replied.

"All right," the doctor sighed. Martin followed the man back out into the halls.

"Come on. Let's get you ready," Elaine said cheerfully.

"Yeah," Scott grinned. It didn't take too long, since he had just brought a few things. Shortly after they had gathered up his belongings, Martin walked in.

"Okay, let's go," he stated. They all walked out of the hospital. At home, Scott stopped in the living room.

"Would it be all right if I crashed on the couch in here?" he requested.

"Whatever you want," Martin replied.

"I'll get you some blankets and a pillow," Elaine offered. Scott nodded.

"Thanks," he whispered. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and go to sleep. As soon as he was asleep, he'd feel better, he was sure of it. Within minutes, the woman had come back with blanket and a pillow.

"Here you go," Elaine said.

"Thank you," Scott answered.

"Good night, Scott," Martin said. With that, he and his wife went upstairs. Scott immediately got under the covers and closed his eyes.

"NO! NO! DON'T!" Martin and Elaine heard half an hour later.

"That's Scott," Elaine gasped. Husband and wife raced downstairs, flipped on the lights, and knelt next to the couch.

"No. No, please," Scott pleaded. "Cecilia, please. Don't," he begged, tossing and turning.

"Scott? Scott, hey," Martin said, applying his weight against his son.

"No!" Scott gasped, finally waking up.

"You're okay, Scott. It was just a dream," Elaine comforted, smoothing his hair back.

"She---she---" he stopped mid-sentence and began to cry.


	22. Trial And Verdict

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

JadeAlmasy: Yeah. Hope this is soon enough.

Queen of Shadows: I'm glad I made it understandable. About what I had sent you, what I had said was that if you wanted me to redo chapter nineteen so that it would be more realistic, to please send me the details.

Linkie: Yeah, I like Elaine too. I have Martin the way he is because he **doesn**'**t** know how to deal. I was originally going to bring in Hannah, but decided not to. I had also originally planned on bringing Scott and Shelby together as boyfriend and girlfriend, but I decided to make this the last chapter, so you're all going to have to use your imaginations for their relationship. Sorry.

ShalBrenfan: Thanks. I will. By the way, have you read my story _Project Normal_? I didn't put much Shal\Bren romance in, but it's my first Mutant X fic and I was interested in knowing what you thought of it.

2008ccampbell: You'll have to see.

BrucasDreamerfan-aka Anna: Here's more.

DISCLAIMER

I only own Cecilia and anything you don't recognize. Everything else belongs to Fox Family. In this fic, Susan hasn't remarried. The only thing I know of court proceedings for sexual abuse cases is from what I've seen on _Law and Order: Special Victims Unit_, and I'm sure that's just an extremely edited showing.

Days later, Scott, his family, and Shelby walked into the courtroom. As soon as they had discovered the abuse, Martin and Elaine had called Scott's biological mother, Susan, but hadn't been able to reach her until two days earlier. At first, the adults were hesitant to let Shelby come, but Scott had been adamant about her being there for moral support.

"Well, here we are," Elaine said.

"Now Scott, remember what we told you. It's just like we practiced. The judge will be right there, you'll sit in the witness stand right there, and your family will be sitting right there," the prosecutor, Ken Greer, reminded him.

"I'll be fine. I can do this," Scott assured.

"And you won't ever have to look at her honey," Susan Barringer assured.

"Just us. It's why we're here," Shelby added.

"That's right," Elaine agreed.

"Come on, let's get this over with," Scott said. With that, they went to the pews. Presently, everybody else came in. When Cecilia came in with her defense attorney, Jerry Braxton, Scott looked straight ahead. It was the only way he could keep himself from going crazy.

"All rise. The honorable Judge Christopher Thornton residing," the bailiff announced. Everybody stood up.

"Be seated," Judge Thornton said, and everybody sat back down. "I understand that this is a sexual abuse case," he continued.

"Yes, Your Honor," Ken responded.

"Is the minor in question here?" the judge questioned.

"Right here, Your Honor," Scott confirmed, standing up.

"You **do** understand that we could've just done this through the video?" the man queried.

"Yes, sir. But this something I **have** to do," was the response.

"Okay," the man accepted. He had to admit---to himself at least---he was impressed. This kid was willing to face his abuser head on. Not many kids could do that. Scott was first. And he told them everything. How he had first met Cecilia, the first time he had gotten a bad vibe from her, the first time he had been raped, and how she had threatened him not to tell. Throughout all of this, Elaine had begun to cry. Martin drew her close and whispered something in her ear. After he was done, Cecilia's attorney came up.

"So let me get this straight. You're saying that my client raped you?" he asked.

"That's right. She did," Scott responded.

"Come on. You don't really expect us to believe that, do you? A big, strong football player being raped by a girl?" he queried condescendingly.

"Objection. Argumentative," Ken said.

"Sustained," Judge Thornton replied.

"I'll rephrase," Jerry stated. "Scott, are you saying you didn't try to stop her?" he continued.

"Of course I tried," Scott responded. "I told her 'no' and I even reached out to stop her," he continued.

"She's a very attractive woman, wouldn't you agree?" Jerry asked.

"She makes me sick," Scott snapped.

"A very attractive woman," Jerry repeated. "Hangs around a lot, spending time with her best friend---your stepmother. Could it be that she merely paid some attention to you out of politeness and you misconstrued that as a sign that she was attracted to you?" he continued.

"No! Of course not!" Scott exclaimed.

"And in fact, when she told you that nothing could ever happen between you two, you attacked her?" Jerry asked.

"No!" Scott shouted.

"Objection," Ken said.

"If you were being truthful, you would tell this court that when your father and stepmother came home on the night in question, you had called her upstairs in the pretense of needing help with some homework and then proceeded to assault Ms. Robbins?" Jerry added.

"No!" Scott yelled again.

"To this end, we see that Ms. Robbins wasn't on top of you out of sexual desire, but merely trying to protect herself from your perverted fantasies," Jerry concluded.

"NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!" Scott shouted.

"OBJECTION!" Ken bellowed. "Badgering," he added in a calmer voice.

"Sustained," Judge Thornton granted. "Watch yourself, Mr. Braxton," he added.

"Yes, Your Honor," the man said contritely. "No further questions," he added.

"You may step down," the judge told Scott. Then, Cecilia came up and her story was much different. According to her, Scott had grown infatuated with her, always trying to be close to her. She of course, had politely turned him down. After that, he had become impossible, calling her, begging her to come over.

"That must've been pretty scary," Braxton said in sympathy.

"It was," Cecilia nodded. "He wouldn't leave me alone, and I was too afraid to tell Lanie. After all, he was her stepson," she continued tearfully. With a soft scoff, Scott shook his head. _She is unbelievable_, he thought. Susan rubbed his arm comfortingly. When Braxton was through, Ken stood up.

"Ms. Robbins, what did you think when you first saw the plaintiff?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Cecilia wondered.

"Were you…attracted to him?" Ken queried.

"No! Heavens, no! He's a boy," Cecilia protested. "I like men," she added, earning scattered laughter.

"So, why would he say stuff like this?" Ken wondered.

"I have absolutely **no** idea. Maybe Scotty was jealous because Lanie was taking up all of Marty's time," Cecilia responded. Scott clenched a fist. _Liar!_ his mind screamed. But he didn't say it. He wouldn't let her know that she was getting to him. He'd **never** give her that satisfaction.

"So you're saying that there was no sexual contact between you?" Ken asked.

"None whatsoever," Cecilia declared.

"Then how come the rape kit says differently?" Ken queried with a satisfied smile. Cecilia could only stare. She didn't know what to say.

"No further questions," Ken said, walking back to his client. The judge dismissed everyone while the jury convened. Several minutes later, the Barringer family and Shelby were summoned back in.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Thornton queried.

"They have Your Honor," the bailiff stated.

"All rise," Judge Thornton stated. Everyone stood up. Scott bit his lip, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach. Shelby reached out and grabbed his hand, which he squeezed gratefully.

"How do you find?" the man questioned.

"Guilty on all counts," the spokesperson responded.

"Yes!" Scott exclaimed in relief.

"Congratulations," Shelby said.

"Come on, let's go get some ice cream," Elaine stated.

"Actually, I'd rather have a chocolate-cherry shake," Scott responded. Everyone laughed.

"Whatever you want," Susan said. With that, they all walked out.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

So, I sped up the jury's decision. Sue me. Hope everybody enjoyed the story. If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, contact the RAINN national hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).


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